First Look: on1 Photo RAW 2018 - The Best HDR & Pano Editor Yet?

Try on1 Photo RAW 2018

I'm pretty busy these days so I don't have time for betas. As a result, I've been rocking along with on1 Photo RAW 2017 not paying much attention to what's coming next. Tonight in advance of the launch I finally kicked the tires and got both surprised and shocked by some of the changes so I thought I'd fill you in on some  of the ones that I think are worth your time to check out...

HDR Editor

I was super impressed with how fast and well this feature worked. Honestly, I didn't expect much as I've really been loving Aurora 2018 HDR as I prepare for my upcoming review.  However, I really have loved the fine grain control it offers with RAW images and how it it saves the merged file in a special format so that I can make non-destructive re-edits at anytime. This means that the HDR merge is never really final, and I can always go dial back in the dark and bright areas that might get messed up while editing. Check it out...

Sadly, this video doesn't do it justice because it kinda ends up with an image that doesn't look so hot. However, the image shown at the top of the article features one that I processed using HDR only (no presets) for very fast and realistic results.

Pano Feature

Some people love their panos, but I hate them. However, I thought this demo which shows how it not only does a good job creating panos, but it also adds metadata to make Facebook treat it as a spinnable pano too:

Maybe this is old news to you pano experts out there, but if you are like me and wondered how you could do this - this is it! Pretty sweet!

Mask Blur Chisel

I never quite got the hang of the chisel tool in the past, but this video here gave me one of those chimpanzee moments (you know, ooh, ooh) and I immediately wanted to go try it out.

More Cool Videos

Want to see what else is new? Start with the video above, then check out these videos...

• New Color Range Masks: https://youtu.be/OVAZo59TIRE
• Mew Luminosity Mask Tools: https://youtu.be/v7ry-zRGqAk
• Paint With Color Brush: https://youtu.be/2DiuYS2UBbM
• New Noise Adjustment Brush: https://youtu.be/KrM-e75OwSU
• Remove Haze from a Photo: https://youtu.be/vzz1ueLqTis

Conclusion

I was unhappy with on1 products for a few years, so I stopped covering them on my blog. I was frustrated with them crashing, features I loved being removed, and something that remained being uninteresting to me.

With the 2017 version I got interested again, but I found myself mostly using it for Resize and not much else. However, I've spent some time this evening playing with the new features and rediscovering this product again, and I like what I see.

At a minimum I'd encourage existing on1 fans to check it out as I think it's a worthy upgrade.

For those who have been burned in the past, I'd suggest giving it another go as the setup seems to do a good job of installing things in cleanly without any headaches. When trying out the product, I hit one snag when I selected  corrupt iPhone 7 file on my NAS, but other than that it was rock solid. It feels like some of the quality issues that plagued on1 in the past have been sorted, and more compelling features have been brought back to make it something worth considering again.

Contact me to let me know your thoughts!

Try it Today & Get  Discount

CLICK HERE to learn more and take it for a spin. If you like it, then try out the MART17 coupon code to get a 20% discount off your order. Contact me if you have any troubles with the special offer.

Other articles you may enjoy

Check out the Reviews tab as well as Ron's Recommendations.

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Mindshift Gear Panorama Backpack, Filter Hive & Ultralight Camera Cover (Corrected 8/2/16)

MindShift Gear Rotation180° Panorama Backpack

MindShift Gear has a cool rotating day hike backpack called the lightweight rotation180 ° Panorama that is available for order here.  Designed for those who want quick access outdoors to their cameras, binoculars, GPS devices, nature identification books, maps, iPads, and more, the rotation180° Panorama’s belt pack rotates to the front for quick gear access and without first having to take off the backpack or even stop hiking.   Its upper compartment has room for a 3 liter hydration bladder, jackets, food, and the like.

In addition, MindShift has some great accessories for outdoor photographers:

• The Filter Hive (review) is the first case designed for quick access to round, square, and rectangular camera lens filters.  The Filter Hive solves organizational and functional problems of conservation, landscape, outdoor action, and wildlife photographers who need quick access to filters of different shapes.  The filter case resembles a bee hive with padded, felt-lined slots that protect delicate glass and resin filters.
  
• The UltraLight Camera Cover is the lightest, most compact camera cover for outdoor photography.  Available in three sizes, this “skin-style” camera pouch/cover is designed for outdoor, nature, and action photographers who wear a normal or pro DSLR camera with small to medium lens out on their chest, ready to shoot. Its adjustable shock-cord on lid allows the cover to fit multiple camera and lens combinations. 
  

All products are available and ready for shipment today!

Compared to the Rotation 180

Front View - Panorama (left) Original Rotation 180 (right)

Side View - Panorama (left) Original Rotation 180 (right)

Back View - Panorama (left) Original Rotation 180 (right)

Video Walkthrough

Here’s a quick overview of this bag as it arrived. If there’s enough interest, I’ll do another review later after I’ve had some time to use it and that will feature camera gear.

Conclusion

I got one of these bags to review and it’s a pretty cool bag. I like the size much better than the original back because this seems better suited for the day hike whereas the original is more for the long and/or overnight hike. Both are extremely well made and very light, so I think people who try these bags out are really going to love them! It's also a big plus for outdoor adventures who need a lightweight bag for their gear but also one that can carry their hydration bladders.

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order at the MindShift Gear web site.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• MindShift Gear Rotation 180° - Hiking Camera Backpack (larger version)
• MindShift Gear House of Cards Memory Card Wallet & Filter Hive & Filter Nest Mini Review
• ThinkTankPhoto Bag Reviews Index & Special Offer
• Photographers Gift Guide / Recommendations
  
• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories
  

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. I was provided with a review version of this bag.

How to shoot HDR Panoramas and Artwork Videos

Shooting and Processing HDR Panoramas is a new video by X-Rite Coloratti member Randy Hufford. Randy was part of my printing series and has a great set of DVD’s called The Perfect Print DVD Series. I loved his series, so when he told me he had a new 4 hour DVD on the subject of HDR Panoramas I thought you should know! Here’s a little video preview:

Play in HD

As I’ve mentioned before, don’t let Randy’s laid back Hawaiian nature and energy throw you – this man knows his stuff! He’s a fun and energetic speaker who is sure to please if this is the type of stuff you think you’d enjoy doing.

Trey Ratcliff fans and Photomatix users are sure to enjoy it!

You can learn more or buy it here and I don’t make a penny. I share this with you because Randy does great work that has helped me a lot, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!

Solutions for Photographing Artwork

If you’ve been given the task of photographing artwork, you quickly find out that it is not easy. While books like Light, Science and Magic help, it’s just not as easy as it sounds so seeing a pro actually do it helps a ton. Randy loves to teach and share his vast knowledge, so this is a great video for those who have to do this sort of thing.

You can learn more or buy it here and once again I don’t make a penny if you buy it. I share this with you because Randy does great work that has helped me a lot, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!

Disclosure

While I do not make a penny off of the sale of Randy’s two new videos featured in this article, there are links in this article which could result in me earning a commission. I do know Randy personally and am sharing this information about his videos as a public service. I have not had a chance to watch these videos, but I did watch his The Perfect Print series and liked it very much, so I am assuming that these are as equally helpful.